The NFL Season Is Upon Us..
There is no doubt that the first week of the NFL season was one of many amazing games and great plays. There were possible upsets brewing with the Bills coming close to cutting down the Patriots hope of a season-opening win along with the Sunday night football matchup where the Packers abused Bears Quarterback Jay Cutler who threw 4 interceptions. But let’s get started on my game of the week, player of the week and this weekend’s most intriguing game.
There was a toss-up for the game of the week, as the Broncos/Bengals ended in a fashion that not many have seen. A last minute hail mary that led to a defensive tip to Brandon Stokley scoring the game-winning touchdown. The Bills/Patriots game could also rank as one of the best games of Week 1, as Tom Brady seemed in his old form after returning from his knee injury where he missed 15 games last season. Brady was able to lead the Patriots to a game-winning touchdown late in the 4th quarter and finish the comeback to stun Buffalo. The ending of the Broncos game was truly amazing, but everyone thought the Bills would squeak out a win against the heavily favored Pats, but they fought back to take the season-opener. My pick for game of the week: New England vs. Buffalo.
This is the Stokley catch that gave the Broncos the win:
After this weekend of opening the season, Adrian Peterson proved why he is the best running-back in the league and possibly the best player. AP rushed for 18o yards and tore up the Cleveland defense, ripping Cleveland defenders off him like it’s his job. Peterson scored 3 TD’s and broke a few tackles for a 64 yard rush that led to a Minnesota Vikings win. The Vikings take on the Detroit Lions this weekend who still look for there first win in over a year and I’m sure AP will abuse them as he did the Browns. Peterson is projected to have over 1,500 yards this season and will have to protect Brett Favre’s passing game as it is very inconsistent. When the Vikes can’t manage to throw the ball through the air, they could just hand it off to AP who will make people pay. My player of the week: Minnesota Viking’s Running Back, Adrian Peterson.
Check out this clip of AP’s 64-Yard Rush:
When making the decision for player of the week, I was originally going to choose Drew Brees, quarterback from the New Orleans Saints who threw for 358 yards and 6 touchdowns. The only gripe with selecting Brees was that they played the Lions, who as everyone knows, needs help at every position out on the field. (We will witness this next week, when Adrian Peterson goes toe-to-toe with a second rate Lions D) I think that if a low-tier quarterback played against that defense, he would also tear them up. However, I don’t want to take away from Brees’ performance, he showed that he is one of the best quarterbacks and plays every game to the fullest extent. Sunday was one of the best performances of his career and a milestone for any QB.
Week Two of the NFL proves to have interesting matchups with many division-rivals facing off. The Patriots visit New York to take on the Jets who find confidence in rookie quarterback Matt Sanchez after his week 1 win against the Houston Texans. The Pats defense will be a true test for Sanchez who was able to air the ball out against a under-par Texans defense.
David J. Phillip / Associated Press
Another game that many are focusing on is one in which the Pittsburgh Steelers will march into Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Jay Cutler will have to prove that the trade from the Broncos will be one in which Chicago doesn’t regret. Cutler did not look good last week, throwing 4 interceptions to the Green Bay defense, one on the last drive of the game in which the Bears could have won the game. It seems as if Cutler is still unsure of his offense, but will all of the controversy surrounding him, Cutler better learn the system quick if he wishes to provide any reassurance for Bears fans. The Steelers are coming off an OT victory over the Titans that opened up the season last Thursday and this game seems like it will be one in which the defense will win.
However, the game of the week that I am anticipating is when the New York Giants take on the Dallas Cowboys, making this game the first game at the new Cowboy’s Stadium. Maybe I am biased in this manner as the Giants are my team and Dallas is my most hated team, but this game proves to be one that will be crucial for both teams. Each time these teams meet, sparks fly and games are made to be remembered. The Giants offense will see if they can get back on track after a struggling week against the Washington Redskins in which they were not able to run or pass the ball, but were still able to claim the victory on defense. The Cowboys coming off a strong week 1 win against the Tampa Bay Bucs want to prove to the NFC East and the entire league that Tony Romo is a top-tier quarterback, who can play with second-rate receivers. Romo was able to throw for over 353 yards last week, but the Giants defense is one of the best and this is one test for Romo that will seem critical. My game of the week pick: New York vs. Dallas
Bill Kostroun / Associated Press
I will have my picks for this weekend’s game on Saturday. Check back!
